Ash's Return
by Questionnaire
Summary: All his life, Ash has had a dream: to Catch 'Em All. And now, he's finally done it- or has he? What mystery awaits him on Cinnabar's shore? And is he ready for where it will take him? Deprecated in favor of Version 2; read that one instead!
1. Chapter 0: Dokokashira

**[AN: I'm working on a rewrite (not a sequel) for this story, entitled "Ash's Return v2". (You can find it through my author profile page.) I personally like the new version better, so I suggest that you not read this and read the new one instead. **

**Thanks for reading!]**

* * *

_Where am I?_

_A city. A lifeless, broken city. Rubble litters the ground as far as I can see. No sound but the hushed waves of the ocean in the distance–_

_I stand up. What is that? A jingling sound. A ring of keys in my pocket. One, two, three… Nine keys. Each engraved with a different label. They must be important._

_What am I doing here? What are these keys for? How did I get them? I'm so confused. I don't understand anything. I don't remember anything._

_I look around. Buildings hover without Foundations. A tree appears to have been sliced in half from top to bottom. A stream of water in the gutter flows uphill. There is something not right about this place._

_There is just one intact building, right up ahead. I walk over to it. Nothing in the windows – just blackness. The door doesn't open. Won't budge. It must be locked…_

_First key doesn't work. Try the next key, the one marked "Infinity." It fits. It turns. _

_I open the door._


	2. Chapter 1: The Incompleteness Theorem

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack now!"

The little mouse put in all he could, but it wouldn't do. Mewtwo sent him flying across the cold cavern chamber with a wave of his hand.

"Oh no, Pikachu!"

"Ash, I told you you shouldn't have wasted the Master Ball on Snorlax!"

"I can do this, Brock, I just need more time! Squirtle, I choose you!"

"Squirtle?" shouted Misty. "He doesn't stand a chance!"

"I know what I'm doing, this is the only way! Squirtle, Surf attack, now!"

Squirtle jumped into the nearby pool of subterranean water, catching Mewtwo by surprise with a chilling flood to the side of the face. But just as soon, Mewtwo twirled his hands, and the tiny-turtle started to swim in a circle, chasing his tail, around and around.

"Ash, what's he doing?"

"It must be Mewtwo's Confusion attack!" answered Brock. "Quick, you'd better send out a Ghost Pokémon to counter his psychic powers!"

"Good thinking! Haunter, I choose you! Nightshade attack now!"

Haunter diffused around its target, and Mewtwo became engulfed in a black cloud, which was not so much dark as it was actively sucking light away. A sense of foreboding seemed to descend upon all present; but Mewtwo was himself momentarily confused…

"Hit him again, Squirtle!" Ash ordered. "Hydro Pump attack!"

The force of the blast knocked Mewtwo off his feet. "All right, Squirtle!"

Mewtwo looked up at Ash with glowing eyes. "Wha–" Ash stammered. He began to float upward, surrounded by an eerie blue aura. Mewtwo drew back his fist for a final telekinetic blow–

"Ash!" yelled Misty.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu pulled himself up out of the water, back onto the stone platform. He jumped over to the soaking wet Mewtwo. "Pi-ka-CHU!"

Mewtwo recoiled from the shock, and Ash fell back to the ground. "Pikachu, you saved me!" He turned his hat backward. "All right. Pokéball, go!"

"No Ash!" Brock protested. "He's still too strong!"

"This might be my only chance! Pokéball, go!"

"What are you do–"

The violently shaking Pokéball was captured inside yet another Pokéball. "Ha, no way he's gonna break out of that!"

"Uh, Ash, I don't think it works like that…"

Ash clenched his teeth and fists. After what seemed like an eternity – the light turned off.

"Yes, I did it! I–" He was knocked off his feet by an ominous rumble.

"Ash, I think that was a load-bearing boss!" exclaimed Misty. "We need to get out of here!" A falling stalactite impaled the ground next to her.

"Quick, use the Escape Rope!" said Brock.

"Right away!"

– – –

Ash Ketchum's reputation preceded him on his return to Pallet Town. Already his was a household name all across the region, the young trainer who had Caught 'Em All.

Everyone in town had turned up to see him. Even his old friend Gary was there, though with a look of having been forced to attend.

"Oh Ash, my baby, how wonderful to see you!" his mother squealed, as she hugged him aggressively. "I'm so proud of you!"

"I say, Ash, I can hardly believe it myself," said Oak. "Who would have thought that one of our own would finally go out and complete the Pokédex?"

"Gee thanks guys, it's really great to see you all!"

"Hey, Ketchup," said Gary in his trademark grates-on-your-nerves voice. "Whatcha gonna do with all those Pokémon? Have you even gotten your own Charizard to listen to you yet?"

"That's none of your business!" Ash replied. "I Caught 'Em All, that's what matters!"

"Well, now that you've got no more Pokémon to catch, I bet your life's gonna be empty and meaningless."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't worry about it brah," he smirked as he walked off. "Smell ya later!"

– – –

Dusk came quietly upon the little hamlet. It was the time when the tiny-birds would come back to roost, and the first of the evening stars would shine out towards the east. Brock, Pikachu, and the others were still back at home, enjoying the celebrations at the Ketchum residence. But the guest of honor had snuck out – he sat by the shore, dangling his feet, mindlessly tossing rocks into the water, as he stared longingly at the horizon.

"Y'know, they used to take me here to play when I was little," he said, hearing Misty's footsteps behind. "I would try and collect all the seashells on the beach. When the other kids were swimming, or making sand castles, there I was, collecting, cataloguing–"

"What are you saying, Ash?"

"Something… something doesn't feel right. I just– I don't know…"

"Is this about what Gary said? Because believe me, I know jealousy when I see it."

"No, it's not that… Do you ever get that feeling, Misty, like there's something else you ought to be doing right now? Like somewhere, someone is waiting, waiting for you to return…"

"What's this really about, Ash? Why are you all worried all of a sudden?"

"I– I'm not supposed to be here," he replied, the thought coming into full clarity even as he searched for the words to say it. "Gary was wrong. I am not finished. There is still another Pokémon left. And it's waiting for me, somewhere…"

"How can you be so sure? We all know there are 150 Pokémon, and Mewtwo is the last. What makes you think you can catch even more?"

"I don't know if you'll ever understand, Misty," he said. "You haven't spent your entire life searching for them. But I know it. I can feel it. I know that I can never rest until I find them. And that's why" – he stood up and raised his voice to a defiant shout – "We're heading out first thing tomorrow morning! We've got Pokémon to catch, and Pokémon wait for no one!"

**[Author's Note: Next chapter will come next Friday. See you then!]**


	3. Chapter 2: Illegal Operation

_What's this? I walk through the open doorway._

_That doesn't make sense. Here it looks like I'm going into the building, and then it looks like I'm coming out of it. Definitely weird._

_I look around. I am most assuredly not inside a building. Only more rubble, more broken streets, more doors…_

_There are so many of them. Which one do I Choose?_

_–* * *–_

"Where are you gonna go first, Ash?" asked Brock, as he finished packing up his bag. "Do you have any idea where to even begin looking for a new Pokémon?"

"I've got a hunch," he answered. "Remember that old abandoned lab on Cinnabar Island?"

"Yeah, the one where they made Mewtwo all that time ago?"

"Right. Well, I was thinking we might find a lead there."

Professor Oak overheard. "Oh no, you're not talking about Mew, are you? Because Mew doesn't exist anymore, you know that."

"Maybe, Professor, but there's gotta be some clues there. Maybe not Mew, but something."

"Okay Ash, but you be careful. You too, Misty, Brock." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "I don't want you to end up like–"

"Ash, sweetie, you forgot something!" His mother came running at them with a satchel. "Ash, you almost left all the clean underwear I packed you! Make sure you change them every day, and make sure you eat your fruits and vegetables, and don't forget to call Professor Oak every week, and always remember–"

"Uh, thanks, Mom… We'd better get going soon, they're getting antsy," he said, glancing at the squadron of water Pokémon ready to pull their raft along the aquatic route to Cinnabar Island.

"Squirtle-squir!" They began moving.

"Okay, goodbye everyone, take care of yourselves!"

"We will! Bye!" the three of them said together.

"Pika!"

– – –

Ash's stomach grumbled loudly. "Ugh, are we there yet? It feels like we've been on this raft for hours."

Brock turned around. "Look, Ash, I see it! Cinnabar Island!"

"Oh, I'm so excited!" said Misty. "We haven't been there in so long! Remember how nice the beach was?"

"Ah yes, the beach…" Brock's sentence trailed off into a vision of bikini-clad beach patrons.

"Suit yourselves," said Ash, "but me and Pikachu are heading straight for the old laboratory as soon as we can. I want to get to the bottom of this."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" asked Brock. "Something about that place would always give me the creeps. And it seemed like Professor Oak was trying to warn us about something."

He gestured with embarrassment, protesting, "Please, I don't want to be a bother, go have fun at the beach, I can handle myself, really!"

Misty placed her hands on her hips. "Ash, whenever you go snooping around mysterious abandoned places, we always end up having to come and rescue you. Better save some time and just come with you from the start."

"Yeah," Brock agreed, looking around, "and besides, the, uh, turnout at the beach wasn't quite as great as I'd hoped, if you know what I mean…"

Squirtle was tying up the raft at the dock, as Ash surveyed the beach. "Whaddya mean Brock, there's plenty of guys to hang out with here."

"Uh, you keep thinking that Ash… but anyway: we're coming with you, and that's that."

"Oh, all right. But let's get something to eat first, I'm starving!"

– – –

"Careful Ash!" whispered Brock, as they tiptoed warily across the creaky floor of the Cinnabar Lab. "We don't want to disturb any of the wild Pokémon!"

"Right." Ash swept his flashlight back and forth, illuminating a beam of dust. "It might be behind that door?"

The heavy metal portal swung open with a squeal of rusty hinges, prompting them all to wince nervously. It revealed a floor covered with broken flasks and test tubes, a table of decrepit instruments, and a computer on a desk covered in a thick layer of dust.

"What are you looking for, Ash?" Misty asked.

"This is where they created Mewtwo, remember?" he replied. "That means that they must have had some way of making completely new Pokémon. There's gotta be something about it here." He rummaged through the drawers of the desk.

"Did you hear that?" asked Brock nervously.

"Hear what?"

"Oh… nevermind…"

"Hey you guys, look at this!" Ash opened a folder with a faded label "PROJECT MU." He read off of the papers inside.

"It says here, 'The machine arrived from Silph Co. last night. We are ready to begin tests… A Rhydon was successfully synthesized, although its behavior is not normal…'"

"They made a Pokémon from a machine?" Misty interrupted. "What kind of machine can do that?"

"I don't know," said Ash, "but I've gotta find out. Here… look! It says, 'The UTM appears to be functioning as specified.' What's UTM?"

"Hmm…" wondered Brock. "Lemme see that…" He ruffled through the pages. "UTM, UTM… uh-oh–"

"What is it Brock?"

"Take a look at this." They huddled around to read the document.

_TOP SECRET – DO NOT LEAVE LYING AROUND!_

_UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL MACHINE – SPECIFICATIONS SHEET_

_An experimental-phase field-programmable device with the capability of emulating any Technical Machine or Pokémon abstract representation. May cause erratic behavior if used outside standard parameters._

_Model No.: 47176870_

_4.194304MHz, 8KB_

_DC6V 0.7W_

_…_

"What's all that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know Ash," Brock replied. "But I don't like the sound of it."

"Hmm… does it say anything more about this machine?"

"Well, let's see… Look at this one!"

_Dear Professor,_

_We regret to inform you that Silph Co. has discontinued the UTM series due to irresolvable system instability issues. The prototypes have been kept for research purposes, although our legal counsel cautions us that we must formally advise against the continuation of this research._

_Sincerely,_

_Silph Corporation_

"I guess they didn't take the advice," said Ash.

"I guess so," Brock agreed. "What are we gonna do now?"

"Isn't it obvious? We need to try and find those prototypes. Silph headquarters is in Saffron, right?"

"Ash, how can you possibly think that this is a good idea?" Misty objected. "Do you even know what happened to these people? Whatever it was, they left and didn't come back. And these are professionals we're talking about. And really… you're just some kid from Pallet Town."

"Just some kid? You're talking to the famous Ash Ketchum, the one who Caught 'Em All!"

"Guys, could you keep it down a little?" exhorted Brock desperately.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so full of yourself you wouldn't–"

A loud clang of metal on metal resounded down the hallway. And what sounded like a screaming cat.

Then footsteps.

"Crap, guys! Argue later! We have to go now!"

**[Author's Note: See you next Friday!]  
**


	4. Chapter 3: Parallel Process

**[Author's Note: This chapter is a little unusual, so I highly recommend that you read it in its proper format (PDF file) here: bit._ly/_szWeGT**

**(Edit: Fixed the link!)  
**

**See you next Friday!]**

_One door after another. The time is running together. How long have I been here? I can't Comprehend it. I don't even know._

_But I will not give up. I must find the way._

–* * *–

Saffron – the City of Golden Radiance. Even after all that Ash had seen, the bright lights and teeming millions never ceased to amaze the small-town boy.

"All right, we'll come along with you," Misty and Brock had finally agreed. "But only if we get to go to the legendary Saffron City Mall first!" After which, they found a table at the food court to sit down.

"That was a close call at Cinnabar, Ash," said Brock. "But I hope you have a plan here. 'Cuz the Silph Corporation Headquarters is one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the world."

"Yeah," Misty added. "I don't think your usual 'make it up as you go' approach is gonna work here."

"Way ahead of ya, guys." He produced an orange reflective vest and a pink tutu.

"…"

"…"

– – –

They gathered in a huddle in the lobby of the Silph Headquarters building, next to the grand fountain. "All right, you guys ready?" asked Ash. They nodded, and placed their hands together.

"Okay. One, two, three…"

"_Getto da ze!_" said Misty.

Misty punched the button in the nearby waiting elevator, and as it rose upward at high speed, she made an effort to summon artificial tears. They came right on cue, just as the door opened to the fifteenth floor.

The guard in the lobby took another bite out of his doughnut, glancing at the clock. _5:58… just another two minutes…_

"Excuse me, sir?" He turned to the little girl in the pink tutu who was tugging at his uniform. "Have you seen Abra?"

"Uh… sorry miss, what's the matter?"

"My Abra ran off and I don't know where he is! I've looked all over!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?" the guard asked.

"Can you help me look for him?"

"Damn it, my shift's almost over! Can't you just catch another one? And what are you doing here, anyway?"

The little girl hugged her doll and stared back at him with wide, watery eyes. "But Abra… he was my friend… Please, I'd do anything to see him again!" she sobbed.

He replied with some reluctance, "All right, all right, just stop crying already!"

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She hugged him as hard as she could.

"Okay, where did you last see it?"

"I think he might have teleported into that room there." She pointed at the entrance to the Electronics Research Lab.

"Oh no, that's a restricted area, I can't take you in there."

"But– Abra– my friend–"

"Fine, fine! I'll tell you what. You wait here, and I'll go in and look." She nodded silently, and the guard entered with a card key. As the door was falling closed, Misty quickly slapped a piece of duct tape onto the latch and threw off her uncomfortable costume, just as Ash came around the corner.

– – –

"_Getto da ze!_" said Ash and Brock.

Ash turned to address Brock. "Okay, now we need to find a way into the basement."

"Right. I think the stairs are over there somewhere." He walked over towards the corner of the building, trying not to appear conspicuous. However, the variously preoccupied employees of the Silph Corporation evidently had more pressing concerns than the shifty young Pokémon trainers lurking in their midst. Ash followed him to a door, which was, incidentally, designated "STAIRS."

Brock turned the door handle, to no avail. "Oh no, it must be locked!"

"Don't worry, I got it." Ash fished through his pocket to pull out a rectangular plastic card, which he bumped against the sensor by the door, causing it to unlock.

"Hey, where did you get that?"

"Uh, I found it on the floor…"

"I'm just gonna take this for what it is," he said, accepting the card from Ash. They entered the stairwell. "Okay, so now what?"

"Here. Take this, and this." Ash handed him the orange vest and Pikachu. "Now remember, wait for the exact time, down to the second. Oh, and don't forget, let's synch our watches."

Brock held their watches together and squeezed two buttons at once.

"Okay, good to go! Good luck Brock, Pikachu!"

"You too Ash." "Pi-ka!" Brock and Pikachu disappeared down the stairs to the lower level.

Ash emerged from the stairwell and strode back to the elevator to follow Misty up to the fifteenth floor. When the doors closed, and as the chimes were counting the floors up one by one, he threw a Pokéball to the ground. "Abra, I choose you!" With a loud burst he appeared.

"I hope this works," he muttered, checking his watch again nervously.

By the time he reached the top, Misty, out of sight around the corner, was well into her rehearsed routine. He quietly prodded Abra to follow the guard into the laboratory, and went around to meet her.

"Terrific performance, I almost believed it myself!"

"Yeah, well, I'd better get well compensated for this," she replied.

"You did good. But we're not done yet. I'll go ahead; you meet me down on the ground outside."

"Whatever you say, boss." She parted from him, back over towards the elevator.

Ash pulled the door open and went inside, where Abra bumped the gullible guard in the leg.

"Oh, there you are," said the guard, picking up the little Pokémon. "Miss, miss, I found your Abra!"

"That's right you did!" Ash shouted. "Teleport, now!"

The guard began to glow blue as he realized what was happening. "You – you little scoundrel."

"Haha, so long!" Ash taunted. Abra and the guard faded away, and Ash turned his attention to a door marked "Authorized Personnel Only." He looked at his watch one last time.

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

– – –

Misty mumbled to herself, "I can't believe I'm here helping him break into the headquarters of a multinational mega-corporation! I think he's become a bad influence on me…"

Along the way to the elevator, she clumsily shoved the pink tutu into a nearby "Biohazard" box, as if to spare others the indignity.

She serenely rode the elevator down, snapping and humming along to the relaxing music being piped in courtesy of the Silph Corporation.

"Dada dum dum dum, dada dum dadada dada–" But suddenly the elevator stopped and went dark.

– – –

Brock put on the vest and took some deep breaths to try and settle his nerves. "Okay. I can do this. Confidence is the key. Just stay calm…"

"Pikachu!" He at least was confident.

He came out from the column he was hiding behind, and walked briskly past the three guards standing in front of a door marked "DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE." "Quick!" he shouted, "We've got a, uh, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot situation up on the seventh floor. Hurry, I'll secure the area!"

The guards ran off, prompting Brock to observe, "Wow, they're stupider than I thought." He carded himself into the door, making sure it locked behind him, and scanned the panels of wires and switches for the one he was looking for. Pikachu meanwhile had a look about him resembling a kid in a candy store.

"Pi-pika!"

"All right Pikachu, here it is. 15th floor, Electronics Research Lab. You ready?"

"Kachu."

"Okay, here goes." He donned a pair of rubber gloves and carefully attached alligator clips to two of the terminals inside the panel, running wires to electrodes on Pikachu's cheeks. "Wait for it… wait for it…"

Sweat collected on their brows as they counted down the seconds on Brock's watch.

"Five, four, three, two, one…"

"Pi-ka-CHU!" He sent a surge of voltage into the panel, tripping the circuit breakers or some such thing.

"Nice work Pikachu. Now we just have to get back outside without them noticing."

There was a rattling at the door. "You in there! What's going on?"

"Oh no!" said Brock.

The door beeped and the guard came in–

– – –

The lights flickered out and the door clicked open. Ash opened it and entered, just before the auxiliary power kicked in a moment later.

Inside, he surveyed the rows and rows of shelves stretching out before him. He looked at the carefully copied number written on his arm, and with determined efficiency located the correct shelf. "Wait, is that it? Yes it is!"

It was a box so small he nearly missed it – no larger than a paperback book. He opened the box reverently, revealing a small purple electronic device with eight buttons on the front. "So this is it. The Universal T–"

"Over here!" Ash heard the shouts of the guards outside. Throwing away any remaining pretense of stealth, Ash shoved the box into his pocket and made a dash back out the door, which set off a wailing alarm as it opened.

– – –

Just before Misty's full reaction of panic could set in, the lights came on and she resumed her descent.

"Phew, that was close."

At the bottom, the doors opened to a ground lobby filled with commotion. A mud-splattered guard marched angrily on by, leading a team behind him. "This way. Fifteenth floor!" She exchanged a momentary glance of recognition with him.

_Oh no_, she thought to herself. _Abra didn't take him far enough._ _Ash won't have enough time._

Another trio of orange-suited guards bumped her as they sped past, one shouting into his radio, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, seventh floor, now!"

She walked out to the door to the agreed meeting place, but was abruptly startled by a loud alarm and blinking lights coming from inside.

– – –

–and saw nothing, as Brock and Pikachu had climbed up above, into the ceiling tiles.

The guard surveyed the room with his flashlight. "Huh," he said, and exited. Pikachu and Brock breathed a sigh of relief.

They climbed their way up through the narrow spaces, leaning on various pipes and protrusions, and resurfaced through a hatch in the ground outside. Misty came around the corner, as an unmistakable alarm began to sound.

"Misty, where's Ash?"

"I don't know, Brock!" she replied. "But it's not looking good. They're gonna find him if he takes any longer!"

"So what are we gonna do?"

"I don't think there's anything we _can_ do! We just have to hope that he gets back out here real soon."

"How in the world is he going to get all the way down here from the 15th floor?"

"Well–"

"They must've already locked down the elevators and stairs."

"Wait, what's that?" Misty looked up.

"Is that–"

– – –

Ash found himself staring the doughnut-eating guard in the face.

"You again!" he scowled.

Ash dodged his attempts to grab him, and, thinking fast, ran out into the hallway and up five flights of stairs to a door at the top, which read:

_UNAUTHORIZED PRESENCE ON THE ROOF OF THIS BUILDING IS PROHIBITED AND WILL RESULT IN A p50 FINE_

"Sorry!" He burst through the door, threw a Pokéball over the edge – "Pidgeotto, go!" – and dove after it, catching Pidgeotto's feet just in time for a painful but nonfatal landing next to his accomplices on the ground, twenty stories below.

"Ash!" they shouted in unison.

"You guys, I got it! We have to get out of here!"

"Not so fast, twerp!"

The three of them spun around to search for the source of the voice. "What? Who–"

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"


	5. Chapter 4: Race Condition

_There is a reason for every door. I came through here with Power-set, so without loss of generality Replacement should now take me–_

_What is that?_

_Footsteps. Voices._

_Oh no. I am not alone. I need to work faster._

–* * *–

"To protect the world from devastation,"

"To unite all peoples within our nation,"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love,"

"To extend our reach to the stars above–"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

They looked up at the Meowth-shaped balloon hovering above them. "It's Team Rocket!" shouted Ash, clenching his fist.

"Wow, what gave it away?" replied Jessie. "Was it the Team Rocket uniforms? Or was it the part where we said 'Team Rocket'?"

"Ugh, what are you three doing here?" asked Brock.

"The same thing you three are doing here," James answered. "We're here for the Machine. But it looks like you've already done all our work for us!"

"Now just hand it ovah and nobody gets hoyt!" ordered Meowth, brandishing his claws.

"Never! The Machine is ours!" said Ash defiantly.

"Now now, didn't your parents ever teach you to share?" Jessie retorted. "We have exactly as much a right to that Machine as you do."

"–Which is to say, none at all!" finished James.

"Not a chance!" said Ash. "Right Misty, right Brock?"

"Y'know, Ash, they do have a point…"

"Oh come on Misty, you're either with us or you're against us!"

"You should listen to the little twerpette," said Jessie. "You might learn a thing or two."

"Twerpette? Why you–"

"Oh, why can't they ever do this the easy way?" James asked.

"Never mind them," answered Jessie. "If they want a fight, they'll have it. Go, Arbok!"

"Go, Weezing!" James followed. "Smokescreen attack, now!"

The three of them coughed on the noxious fumes, and could barely see a thing. Suddenly, Ash felt a furious swipe across the face by what must have been Meowth.

"Yowch! Pidgeotto, use your Gust to blow this away!"

"Pid-jahhh!" The smoke cleared, revealing Arbok baring its teeth at Brock and Misty. "Uh-oh!" They backed away. "Kch-aaa-baaakaa!"

Of his own initiative, Pikachu leapt in between them and knocked out Arbok cold with a swift Thunderbolt attack, prompting Jessie to recall it. Ash dusted himself off and stood up straight. "Now, Pidgeotto, you know what to do!" The bird flew up and dove beak-first at the surface of the balloon.

"Oh no!" said James. "Hurry, Weezing, return! You too Meowth!" They drew him back up by the rope tied around his waist, and Pidgeotto made contact–

A familiar pop and hiss sent them spiraling into the deep blue evening sky. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Twinkle.

"Well, that was easy," said Brock. "But we should get out of sight. Silph is still looking for us."

"More like, out of town," Misty replied. "They've got people all over this city."

"Right. Ash, where do you think we should go?"

"The train station's just a few blocks from here, isn't it?" Ash suggested. "If we get there fast enough, we'll be in Vermilion before they're any the wiser."

"Good idea," Brock agreed. "But we'd better make it quick, the next train leaves in ten minutes!"

– – –

They reconvened at a secluded table at the Vermilion City train station. "So, Ash," asked Brock, "can we see this Machine?"

He pulled it out of his jacket pocket. "Here it is."

"That's it?" Misty said. "That dinky little thing?"

"Sure, Misty, I saw it myself. Here, take a look." He carefully opened the lid of the box. Inside was a small, oblong clay brick resting on top of a greeting card, which Ash unfolded in confusion. An upbeat melody began to play. "Ah, ya ya ya…" sang the card, accompanying the enclosed picture of Meowth making a large, toothy, lopsided grin.

"What's that thing, Ash?" inquired Brock. "Ash?"

Ash was silent. He crushed the package in one hand. There was fire in his eyes.

– – –

Jessie cackled triumphantly in the repaired balloon. "Marvelous plan, James. Brilliantly executed." She cradled the Machine in her hands, turning it over to examine the cartridge in the back.

"You weren't too shabby yourself, Jessie," he replied.

"And remember, ya couldn'ta done it wittout Meowth!"

"Now," she said, "by the time those twerps realize what happened, we'll already be in Viridian with the boss!"

"And when he sees that we brought him the Universal Machine," continued James, "he'll promote us on the spot!"

"You know, James, are thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I don't know, Jessie, what were you thinking I was thinking?"

"This Machine can make an unlimited number of any item, right? So, before we hand it over to the boss, let's make a bazillion Nuggets and Rare Candies to sell at premium prices!"

"Why, we'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Oooh, I like that, Jessie!" squealed James. "But we can't let the boss know we're skimming stuff on the side. We'd better make a detour somewhere else, and sell the items there."

"Good thinking, James. Change course for Cinnabar Island!"

"Uh-oh, Jess, sometin's followin' us," Meowth interrupted, looking through a pair of binoculars.

"What? No way! Give me those!" Jessie screeched, grabbing the binoculars and strangling Meowth with the neck strap. "No. It can't be!"

– – –

Misty and Brock were relaxing comfortably with a nice hot pot of tea. "Wow, it's actually pretty nice in here," Brock remarked.

"Chu." Pikachu crossed his arms and looked away.

"Suit yourself." Misty turned back to Brock. "How do these things work anyway?"

"Not sure. Something involving gyroscopes, I think."

"Hm. Say, how did Ash ever convince Charizard to go along with this?"

"I think he'd never seen Ash so angry before," answered Brock.

"I'll say. Ash looked like he'd become the destroyer of worlds."

"Yeah, I guess that flame'll only listen to someone just as hot-headed."

"Well, I hope they know what they're doing out there," said Misty, glancing at the curved wall. "Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, y'know?"

**[Author's Note: See you next Friday!]**


	6. Chapter 5: Exception

_I fumble the keys in the lock. Come on, one of them has to work! Pairing, Equality, Union, no, try this one– I tremble too much. I drop the keys._

_Hey! Is that you? a voice calls out behind me…_

_–* * *–_

Charizard hurtled through the thin air with the intensity of a meteor, single-mindedly focused on his one goal: incinerating that obnoxious feline. Ash ignored the vicious sting of the wind, clinging tightly to his mount's back, thinking similar thoughts about the one whose loathsome song still resounded in his mind.

"Almost there, Charizard!" Ash encouraged. "You're gonna pay for what you did, Meowth! You messed with the wrong Pokémon trainer!"

James squirmed in a panic. "Oh no, they're getting closer! What are we gonna do, Jessie?"

"They're approaching too fast," she replied. "We can't outfly them! Quick, Cinnabar's just up ahead. Maybe we can lose them on foot."

"Nyaaaaah, too late Jess!" exclaimed Meowth. "They're comin' this way!"

Ash held on firmly. "Charizard, they're in range – Flamethrower attack now!"

"Ri-ZAAH!" he roared, bathing the balloon in a sea of red fire. The membrane vanished in a burst of soot and smoke, dropping its payload into a perilous free-fall from 1,000 feet.

"We're losin' altitude!" Meowth groaned.

"Abandon ship!" said James. They jumped out of the basket and deployed their R-emblazoned parachutes, aiming for the soft sands of the Cinnabar Beach.

"Gaaah, I didn't land on my feet…" Meowth complained.

"No time for talking, Meowth!" said Jessie. "Let's scram!"

In front of them, a Pokéball fell down from above, and out popped Misty, Brock, and Pikachu. "Going somewhere?" asked Brock, as he took out a Pokéball of his own.

"No, not this way!" said James. They turned around to run in the opposite direction – only to be blocked by Charizard touching down with a resounding _boom_.

Ash dismounted, directing his rage towards the hapless Team. "So, you think that's funny, do you!"

They began to sweat nervously. "Oh yes, terrific joke, all in good fun! We'll be running along now! Good bye!" stammered James.

"You're not going anywhere!" said Brock. "Go, Onix!"

"You too," said Misty. "Go, Starmie!"

"Pi-ka-chu!"

"Oh no, we're surrounded!" cried Meowth. "Whadda we gonna do, whadda we gonna do…"

"Listen, you two," answered Jessie, ever so slightly calmer than them. "We're not going down this easily. We have the Universal Technical Machine, remember? We can make any Pokémon we want!"

"Good idea, Jessie," James agreed. "We can win this for sure! Make it summon a Pokémon that can defeat any other Pokémon."

"But James," said Meowth tentatively, the rusty engines of logic beginning to crank inside his head. "What if they copy it with a Ditto?"

"Hmm, good point," said James. "How about, a Pokémon that can defeat any Pokémon, including itself!"

"No, that won't work," Jessie said. "Then it'll just self-destruct on us. Let's do… a Pokémon that defeats any Pokémon other than Pokémon which defeat Pokémon other than…"

"Gaaaah, I'm so confused!" shouted Meowth.

Ash had reached the end of his patience with Team Rocket's dithering. "Charizard, Fire Blast!"

"Onix, Rock Throw!" "Starmie, Hydro Pump!" "Pi-ka-CHU!" the others followed.

Jessie and James attempted to hide behind each other. "I never thought it would end like this…"

"Enough already!" Meowth grabbed the Machine from Jessie and switched it onto voice-activated mode. "Machine, I order you! Make a Pokémon that defeats all Pokémon other than Pokémon that defeat themselves!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

James timidly looked up. "Wh– what just happened?"

Charizard, Onix, Starmie, Pikachu, Meowth – all five stopped dead in their tracks. The projectile attacks hung motionless in midair, mere inches away from their targets.

"I don't know, James," Jessie replied. "Meowth, what did you just do? Hello, Meowth?"

Meowth stared blankly ahead, still holding the Machine, not moving a muscle. A sparkly purple and orange dust began to issue from the Machine…

Ash looked around. "What's going on? What happened to all our Pokémon?"

Jessie stood up and laughed. "Well well well. Not so tough without your little pets to do your dirty work, are you, twerp?"

Ash groaned through gritted teeth. "I've had it with you, Team Rocket! Give it to us!"

"Ah ah ah, you didn't say the magic word," said James, taking the Machine out of Meowth's unmoving paws. The glittering dust, meanwhile, had assembled into a large block-like structure.

"What in the world is that?" asked Brock in amazement.

Ash pulled out his all-knowing Pokédex. "ERROR: MISSING NUMBER."

"Nnng, I don't know what kind of trick you're playing now," said Ash, "but I'm not falling for it!" He ran over to grab the Machine from James, who moved aside, allowing Ash to face-plant into the sand.

"I say we teach him a lesson in respect for his elders," suggested Jessie.

"I agree," said James. Using the Machine's controls, he directed the blocky Pokémon over towards Ash, and pressed a button. "Go, Missing Number!"

It swirled around and around, faster and faster, surrounding Ash in a haze of unnatural colors. The hiss of the whirlwind grew into an outright screech, as he was lifted off his feet and into the air. His groans of discomfort quickly became screams of primal agony, with a feeling of having all the pain receptors in his body activated at full volume all at once.

"Help… me…" was all they could hear him say.

"Put him down, you evil scum!" yelled Misty. "Brock, we have to do something!"

Brock thought as fast as he could. "Misty, the Machine!" With all his strength he threw himself at James, who lost his grip and tossed it into the air. Misty dove to snatch it away from Jessie's grasp, and desperately ripped the cartridge out of its socket.

The Pokémon resumed their suspended attacks, propelling a barrage of earth, water, lightning, and fire into the now-empty space where Team Rocket had stood; while meanwhile Meowth looked around in bewilderment. The blocky apparition vanished in a mosaic of horizontal stripes, and Brock and Misty turned towards Ash, who collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.

"Ash! No!"

******[Author's Note: To be continued, next Friday...]**


	7. Chapter 6: The Halting Problem

Brock ran over to examine him. "He's not moving, Misty!"

She turned towards Team Rocket. "You! I swear, if he's hurt–"

"Terribly sorry, but it's really none of our business," replied Jessie quickly.

"Yes, we'd love to stay, but you know, when the going gets tough, the tough get going!" said James. Meowth grabbed the Machine and the cartridge, and they scurried away.

"Brock, we can't let them get away!" exclaimed Misty.

"Misty, Ash is in danger, we can worry about them later!"

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"He's still breathing, he's still got a pulse," Brock said. "Hello, Ash, can you hear me!" Nothing.

"Pikapi, pika!" Pikachu cried, delivering a sharp electric jolt to Ash's limp body. "Pi, pikaCH–"

"No, Pikachu!" Misty pulled him back. "You'll kill him!"

Pikachu withdrew the charge, succumbing silently to tears against Ash's arm.

"We have to get help, fast," Brock concluded. "I'll go call an ambulance. You stay here."

"All right." She propped up his head with her bag. "Hang in there, Ash."

– – –

Brock and Misty paced anxiously outside the doors of the emergency room. After a surprisingly short period of time, Nurse Joy emerged with a clipboard.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock stood up, but sat back down, suppressing his instinctive response for the sake of propriety.

"Yes, you may have met my sister at the Pokémon Center," she said.

"Joy, is Ash all right? What happened to him?" asked Misty.

"Well, I have good news and bad news," replied Joy. "The good news is, we examined your friend thoroughly, and it's clear that there's nothing wrong with him physically. He's perfectly healthy."

"He is?" said Brock excitedly.

"But the bad news is, we can't figure out what _is_ wrong. We tried everything. We even tried putting him in a chair and tipping it backwards. But nothing will wake him up."

Misty rubbed her forehead to conceal her eyes. "Can– can we see him?" asked Brock.

"Certainly. Right this way."

They followed her into a room full of beeping machinery. Ash lay there peacefully on the bed, his chest moving slowly up and down. "Kachu!" Pikachu leapt from Brock's shoulder to go hug him on the face. "Pikapi…" he sobbed.

"See, look at this," said Joy. She shined a flashlight into Ash's eyes with one hand, and with the other pulled his eyelids open. His eyes darted this way and that, as if looking for something.

"Can he see us?" said Misty.

"I don't think so," Joy answered. "He doesn't respond to the light."

"So, what are we going to do?" Brock asked.

"To be completely honest," said Joy gravely, "we have no idea what to do. This does not seem to be a _medical_ problem. Tell me, how did this happen?"

Misty and Brock looked at each other.

"Please, your secrets are safe with me."

"We– we were in a Pokémon battle," Misty began. "Team Rocket, they had this Machine–"

"There was this strange blocky thing," Brock continued. "It attacked Ash."

Joy nodded knowingly. "I see. Perhaps the stories are true after all…"

"What stories?" asked Misty.

"I think you may have seen a Glitch Pokémon."

"Glitch Pokémon?" said Brock. "Do you know what's wrong with Ash?"

"I'm afraid I only know them as an urban legend… you'll need to talk to an expert on Pokémon."

Misty looked back at Brock. "We could call Professor Oak!"

"Here, you can use the phone right here," Nurse Joy offered.

Misty walked over to the video-phone and dialed, and Oak appeared on the screen. "Why hello there Misty, so great to see you again!"

She cut right to the chase. "Professor Oak Ash got attacked by a Glitch Pokémon and now he won't wake up please please please can you help us?"

"Wait wait, calm down Misty. What happened to Ash?"

"Team Rocket attacked him with a Glitch Pokémon," Brock answered. "By the time we got to him, he was unconscious. We still can't figure out what's wrong!"

Oak suddenly grew pale and turned around off-screen. He returned moments later, holding a piece of paper in his hand. "Professor?" asked Misty.

"Misty, Brock, there is someone who can help you." He paused. "Nurse Joy, would you excuse us?"

She nodded and left.

"Listen very carefully," Oak continued, as he fed the paper into the phone's scanner. "There is an old man in Viridian City. His name is Professor Vattha."

"Vattha?" asked Misty. "How is that even pronounced?"

"Uh…"

"Oh, right."

"Anyway," Oak went on, "if anyone can help Ash, this man can."

"Who is this guy?" asked Brock suspiciously, taking from the printer the mugshot of the unkempt, white-haired man. "Is… is there something you're not telling us?"

Oak sighed nervously. "I was hoping I could leave this behind me…"

"Come on Professor," Misty objected, "we need to know the truth!"

He took a moment to collect his thoughts. "We were colleagues, many years ago. He was a brilliant mathematician at the Cinnabar Labs. When I asked him what he was working on, he would only say 'MU.' He wouldn't tell me anything. I gathered only that some kind of machine was somehow involved.

"I saw less and less of him as the months went by. Eventually, I learned there had been… an accident."

"An accident?" asked Misty.

"I can only guess what actually happened. But he fell unconscious, just like Ash. Didn't recover for nearly ten years."

"Ten years?" Brock exclaimed.

"But when he did, it was just like that. Got up, put on his shoes, and ran out on his own two feet."

"What happened to him?" Misty prodded.

"No one heard from him for days. I finally went over to his office to see if he was all right. He had covered the walls with arcane mathematics. All he did was furiously scribble equations and proofs at his desk, all day, all night. I tried to talk to him. But he wouldn't stop working, not for a second.

"The Lab let him go. They tried to have him committed to the Viridian City Insane Asylum. But they judged him to be a hopeless case who posed no danger to others. So they released him. As far as I know, he's been roaming the streets of Viridian ever since."

"So you really think this Vattha guy can help Ash?" said Misty.

"It's a longshot, I know," Oak replied. "But he's your only chance. He's the only one who's ever recovered from something like this. He might just know how to rescue Ash."

"Well then it's settled," declared Brock. "Misty, let's gather our things, we're flying to Viridian City right away!"

"Thank you, Professor," she said.

"God speed." He disconnected.

They knelt beside Ash's bed, holding his cold hands. "We'll save you, I promise," said Misty solemnly. "Take good care of him, Pikachu."

"Pika."

– – –

Two black-clad figures stepped out from a shadowy alley behind the Viridian City Gym, each carrying a bag with a large currency sign on it. "Excuse me," said Misty, offering forward the photograph. "Have you seen–"

With a look of recognition and disgust, Team Rocket turned up their noses and walked away.

She looked down in frustration. "Ugh, we're never gonna find him this way!"

"Now Misty," said Brock, "we can't give up yet. Just think – if you were a crazy old man, where would you go?"

"Hmmm, well, he's a mathematician, right? What is it they say? A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems?"

"Never heard that one before," Brock replied. "But it's worth a shot at least. Uh, 'scuse me," he said, pulling aside another stranger. "Do you know of any places where you could get coffee around here?"

The green-aproned man's ears perked up. "Why, I'm very glad you asked! Right this way," he said rapidly, leading them inexorably, as if by an invisible thread, in the direction of his shop. "What can I interest you in today? Our double deluxe creamed spiced chai latte? Or perhaps you'd like to try our latest offer, the super-black espresso mocha cappuccino?" They approached the entrance of the café. "Only the best at Crescendoe's!"

Brock scratched his head. "Um, sorry, but we're a little too young for coffee…"

"Oh," said the disappointed shopkeeper.

"We were actually wondering if you could help us find this man," said Misty, handing him the printout.

"What, you mean Old Man George?"

"You know this guy?" asked Brock eagerly.

"Actually, he's one of our most loyal customers," he replied. "Terribly strange fellow, though. Always sits in the corner, never says a word. And he always pays us with gold Nuggets – not that I'm complaining or anything…"

"Where can we find him?" said Misty.

"If it's like any other day, he's probably here right now."

They hurried inside. Brock and Misty instantly recognized the bedraggled old man in the corner, looking exactly as an insane professor should, surrounded with heaping stacks of papers. "George, these kids were looking for you," said the shopkeeper, and disappeared into the back.

"Hmrph," he grunted, neither looking up nor pausing from his incessant scrawling.

"Uh, hello," Brock began. "My name is Brock, and this is Misty. Are you Professor Vattha?"

He gave no response.

"Listen, um, George," said Misty, "our friend is in trouble, and you're the only one who can help us. Please!"

He reached the end of his sheet, looked at it for a second, and then scratched a large X through the whole page. "No no no!" He crumpled it up to throw onto the ever-increasing mound.

"Please sir," Brock persisted. "Our friend was attacked by a Glitch Pokémon, and now–"

The man stood up suddenly and grabbed Brock by the collar. "What do you know? !"

**[Author's Note: See you next Friday!]**


	8. Chapter 7: Memory

**[Author's Note: Visit us now on TVTropes! bit._ly/_ngxs5X  
**

**See you next Friday!]**

Pikachu had hardly left Ash's bedside. He looked up weakly as Brock and Misty walked in, but his eyes lacked the sprightly spark they once had.

Professor Vattha opened his bag and drew out a tangled mess of wires and controllers. "My invention was useless, with just myself. But I think your friend may be the key."

"What does it do?" Brock asked.

He placed a large circular steel band on his head. "It allows us to amplify his brain waves and project them into our own minds. Here, you put these on too." He handed similar devices to Misty and Brock, and put one on Ash as well. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

They nodded.

"All right." They took their seats in a set of comfortable chairs surrounding the bed. "Now, his brain waves are still very weak," he continued, "so you need to clear your minds and be totally relaxed. Understand?"

"We're trying to save our friend," said Misty nervously. "How can I relax now?"

"Here, this should help." He pressed a button, and a soft sound began to play. _Jig-gly-puff, Jig-guh-lyyyy-puff…_

_—  
_

They opened their eyes. Brock looked around, taking off the headset. "Oh no, it didn't work!"

Misty took off hers as well and stood up. "Come on Brock, we're leaving."

"Wait," said the old man. "Pinch your nose and sniff."

The utterly random command rendered Misty and Brock speechless.

"Do as I say. Now."

They obeyed, not knowing what else to do. "Wait a minute, what the hell?" said Brock, shocked by the result.

Misty tried it again. "This… isn't real?"

"All right. Let's go."

Vattha opened the door out of the room, and stepped into a vast white wasteland. Misty and Brock surveyed their surroundings with an awestruck gaze, looking up at the blank sky and down at the eroded ground. _A city. A lifeless, broken city._

"What is this place?" asked Misty.

"This… is Glitch City. The city of deadlocked instructions, of infinite loops."

They stepped over the disjointed puddles, by the half-sliced tree, across the crooked ledges, towards the open doorway up ahead.

"Now you must be very careful," Vattha continued. "Do not lose your focus! Concentrate on the things you see, the sounds you hear, and remember what you've come here for. Or you will find yourself back in your chair, awake."

"Where are we going?" Brock inquired. They continued through the door, which led by impossible geometry to yet more doorways.

"Your friend has been here, since the Glitch defeated him. He's been opening these doors with his keys. All we need to do is to follow his path."

"How… how do you know all this?" asked Brock.

"I was… here, once," the professor began. "I searched and I searched. Years it must have been. From one door to another, looking for a way out, any way. But then, I saw something."

"Saw what?" said Misty.

"It was a theorem. A result so beautiful, so profound – in a moment I saw it. Then I knew it. I knew that I'd be trapped here forever. But just as soon, it all drifted away. There I was, awake in my bed. I ran as fast as I could, trying to find a pen, a pencil, a crayon – anything. Anything to write down what I had seen. But by then, it was too late."

"What do you mean?" asked Brock.

"Faded away. Just like that."

"You couldn't remember it?" said Misty.

"You don't understand. I spent years here, searching for that theorem. But when I woke up, it all just so easily blew away, like a tracing in the sand… I've been trying to find it ever since. But no matter what I tried, none of it worked. So when you came to me, I thought, finally, a chance to come back here, and find my theorem again. Maybe this time will be different?"

"Maybe…" Misty replied. Fresh footprints in the dust laid out a clear path before them, indicating that they were not far from the one who left them. They continued on, through the next door–

"Wait, did you hear that?" whispered Brock. They stopped silently to listen.

A jingling of metal…

"This way!" Brock ran across the graveled road to another open door, the others following close behind. He shouted out ahead: "Hey! Is that you?"

—

_They are coming._

_I turn around. Three figures are running at me, towards the last door. I hurry back to it, as fast as I can. I slam the door shut. But a foot blocks its closing._

_Yowch! comes a cry._

_I hold the door with all my strength. But then, the three pursuers break through, tumbling on top of me. They knock me to the ground._

_The keys! the old man shouts. He gets up and runs over to the other door, where I have left them. He opens the door and runs through it, his footsteps fading out of earshot._

_You're here! the girl whispers._

_But never mind them. I need my keys back! I follow the old man, through the next door._

_Wait, come back! the boy yells._

_I follow the trail of open doors. I catch up with the old man easily. I come through another door, see him opening up the door in front of me. He goes through it._

_Eureka! I've got it! ASH! THE DIAGONAL! he shouts. A clink of metal on stone. I run in after him. He is gone. The keys lie alone on the ground. I pick them up._

_There are now only two doors, solid black, facing opposite one another. The one on the left has no handle, no lock. The one on the right has nine. _

_The boy and the girl come in after me. I place the keys one by one into the locks. Ash, what are you doing? he says._

_I turn the handle. The door opens into another clearing. There is an open doorway, right up ahead. A kid is standing in it. I step through to follow him. He walks away, through the next door._

_Ash, please! she shouts._

_I keep walking._

_Don't you remember? You are Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet, and you wanted to be the very best!_

_I ignore her nonsense. That kid has my keys! I reach the door, but still no closer to catching him._

_She falls to the ground, on her knees, crying. Please, Ash, just remember…_

_I quicken my pursuit. The kid starts running. Hey, come back!_

_Ash, stop this now! the boy says. You're not going anywhere!_

_I run as fast as I can, through more and more doors. But it's not fast enough. The kid outruns me still. I can't reach him!_

_The girl looks back up at me. Listen to me, Ash! Do you ever get that feeling____…_? 

___ Can't… let him… get away…_

_____Like somewhere, someone is waiting__…_

_Waiting__…_

_Yes, Ash! ____Waiting for you!_ Someone you once knew, and loved!

_Waiting for me__…_ to… return?

_She collapses again into tears. I look at the keys in my hand. They slip through my fingers to the ground. So do the keys of the kid up ahead._

_I go through the door to catch up with him. But he walks on forward. I kneel and look down at the keys he left behind. In the shiny mirrored metal, a face stares back up at me._

_That kid…_

_But that must mean that–_


	9. Chapter 8: Try–Catch

–I can never escape?"

He squinted in the bright sunlight streaming in through the window.

Pikachu jumped up suddenly. "Pikapi!"

"What happened?" asked Brock, in a daze as he removed his headpiece. Misty stood up and eyed Professor Vattha's now empty chair.

"Pikachu!" Ash shared a long-overdue embrace with his yellow companion, who smiled once again. "Pika!" He sat himself up and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm– I'm so sorry," he said softly. "How could I have kept you waiting so long?"

"It's okay, Ash," Misty reassured him. "You didn't know."

"No, I did know," he replied hesitantly. "It's just… maybe… I didn't know that I knew?"

"Well, we're just glad to have you back, Ash," said Brock, patting him on the back.

Nurse Joy walked in, hearing the commotion. "Is everything all right in– oh, you're awake!"

"That's right," said Ash. "And I owe it all to my friends here!"

"That's a relief. I thought you might not make it. Oh, and by the way, I saw that old man you came in here with."

"Really?" asked Misty. "Where'd he go?"

"He left just a few minutes ago. Grabbed a pen off my desk, and ran off."

"Hmmm…" Brock rubbed his chin.

"Who are you talking about?" asked Ash.

"He's the one that brought these devices," Brock replied. "He's an expert on Glitch Pokémon."

"Glitch Pokémon?" said Ash. "You mean, like the one that I saw? The Missing Number?"

"I think it must have been," he answered.

Ash threw aside the covers and leapt to his feet excitedly. "Well, what happened to it?"

Misty objected, "Ash, I hope you're not thinking what–"

"What, that I have to capture it? Of course that's what I'm going to do!"

"Well, it disappeared when we unplugged the Machine," said Brock. "And Team Rocket took it anyway. What makes you think you can even find it now?"

"You know," Joy interjected, "they say that an uncaught Glitch never goes away, it just… reappears elsewhere."

"All the more reason to make sure I catch it, once and for all!" Ash made a fist. "Come on, let's go!"

"Ash, please, just for once, think about this for a second!" said Misty, quivering in body and voice. "I've gone along with a lot of your crazy ideas in the past. And you've gotten lucky so far. But this one nearly got you killed! I thank my lucky Starmie we were even able to save you at all! But enough is enough. I'm not going along with you this time! I can't just sit by and let you throw your life away like this!"

"I'm… sorry, Misty." Ash was taken aback. "But do you have any idea what it's like, to have a dream? I remember when I first saw wild Pokémon with my own eyes. I was playing in the sandbox behind my house, and then I wandered out into the tall grass. All those different kinds of Pokémon, each hurrying every which way, each with their own story! And I thought, there's so much more to this world than just the little sandbox. It was then that I decided: I don't care what it takes, or how long. But I, Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet, am going to Catch 'Em All! And now, when that dream is just one step away from becoming reality, am I going to turn back on it, because I'm afraid? Yes, it's dangerous. But when the challenge is no longer as easy as it once was, who remembers the ones who just went home?"

Misty looked down at the floor. "I'll remember." But she could see there was no use in arguing this any further. "Be careful, Ash."

– – –

They walked again along the beach, where not too long ago that ill-fated battle had thrown Ash to the brink of oblivion. "Are you sure about this, Ash?" asked Brock. "It's still not too late to turn around."

"You can go back with Misty if you want. But I'm staying here."

"I'm not going to leave you alone, Ash."

"I can always count on you, Brock," said Ash. "Hello, Missing Number?" he called out.

"We've been up and down this beach three times already. Maybe it really is gone."

"It's got to be here somewhere! We haven't seen any other wild Pokémon yet either. We just need to look a little longer."

"Maybe– Ash, behind you!" Brock shouted.

He turned around, and fell backward into the sand, startled by the large rectangular figure towering above him. "Ack! Pikachu, hit it with your Thunderbolt! …Pikachu?"

"Oh no, he's frozen!" yelled Brock, looking down at Pikachu. "Don't let it get close to you! Do something, fast!"

Ash scooted away from the floating block. "Ungh, looks like I have no choice. Pokéball, go!"

The ball passed thought the haze of pixels, which imploded into a concentrated cloud of red energy. The ball dropped to the ground, trembling.

"Come on, come on…" Ash groaned.

The ball gave a final, weak shake, and then stopped. The light dimmed. "Wait, that worked?"

"Pika?"

"It must have been at Level 0 anyway," Brock replied.

Ash made a gesture to punch at the sky. "Yes! I did it!" Pikachu looked sadly downward.

"Ash!" Misty ran out from behind a dune.

"Misty!" said Brock. "You followed us?"

"I– I tried not to," she answered. "But I… was too worried."

"Well, worry no longer Misty, I caught it!"

"Congratulations, Ash." She placed an arm on his shoulder. "Now. Let's go home."

**[Author's Note: See you next Friday!]**


	10. Chapter 9: Hello World

"SURPRISE!"

Confetti and streamers rained down upon the young adventurer, through the door of his Pallet Town residence. The local fans had once again turned out, and his beaming mother stood front and center.

"Oh, Ash, I'm so glad you're okay!" she squeaked, embracing him with a smothering grip. "I was worried sick! I missed you so much!" She followed with a series of kisses.

"Gee, thanks, Mom," said Ash, trying to keep her at arm's length. "What's all this about?"

"You didn't think we would have forgotten about your birthday, did you, Ash?" Professor Oak replied. "We're all very proud of you. And you've been through so much, we thought we'd mark the occasion with something special!"

"Wow," Ash gaped. "What can I say–"

"Say nothing, just make a wish!" Misty answered from around the corner, and revealed a large cake decorated to look like a Pokéball, with a circle of brightly lit candles.

The crowd of guests joined in song. "Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday dear Ash / Happy birthday to you!"

"How old are you now–" Brock continued, before a sharp elbow to the gut from Misty cut him off.

"Now, go on, make a wish!" she goaded.

Ash took another look at the candles. "Hmm, that's strange…"

"What is it, Ash?" asked Brock.

"Wasn't I twelve… last year?"

"Don't be silly, Ash," replied Misty. "You're twelve today, you were eleven last year. Duh. Can't you do math?"

"But I could've sworn that–"

"Just hurry up and make a wish, I'm starving!"

"…Oh, all right." He paused a second more, and with a deep breath extinguished the twelve candles.

– – –

Ash sauntered slowly down along Pallet's southern shore, savoring the sensation of the sand between his bare toes. A familiar, dreadful yet unavoidable feeling came rushing through his reverie.

_There is still another?_

The conclusion came not without a certain sense of exhaustion. He recalled in a moment the long years of travel and toil, from his most recent journey back from the abyss of unbeing, to the day when that wide-eyed youth had first set out with his Pikachu.

But the decision took only just another moment. "I am Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet, and I've Gotta Catch 'Em A–"

A sudden flap of wings from above interrupted him. A Dragonite with a messenger bag landed in front of him, and wordlessly produced a small cubical package.

"For me?" asked Ash, taking it from the courier's hands. The Dragonite nodded and flew off.

"What's this?" The box was labeled on the front:

_TO: ASH_

_FROM: VATTHA_

He unwrapped the packaging and removed the cover from the box. Inside, nestled carefully between layers of cotton and foam, was a spiraling nautilus shell.

The word _Diagonal_ came vividly and inexplicably to mind.

_Can it be?_ He dropped the shell into the shallow waves washing across his feet. "Go, Missingno.!" The sparkling anomaly emerged from its ball.

He tentatively poked his finger into the mysterious mist, drew it out, and examined his hand.

_It's… they're all numbers…_

_The Missing Number. Along the diagonal._

_Of course_. He smiled silently to himself. Yes, there was no stopping it now.

"I'll never forget y


End file.
